We Can’t ‘Drain the Swamp,’ But We Can Find Our Way Out

An eerie silence pervades the land the morning after Americans elected a narcissistic demagogue President of the United States. Of course the commentariat, who were so wrong, and complicit in many ways, haven’t shut up. But the rest of us are stunned and saddened. The world is in uncharted territory.
Once, while backpacking alone, I got lost. There was a moment of panic, and I started to walk faster in what I thought was the right direction. But self-awareness overtook fear, and I did the right thing: I sat down.
This was in the days before GPS and cellphones, so if I didn’t get myself out of the jam that I’d gotten myself into, I faced the prospect of a week alone in the wilderness before being